1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor component having a semiconductor element with a blocking pn-type junction. The blocking pn-type junction is formed by a first zone of a first conduction type and an adjoining zone of a second conduction type that is opposite to the first conduction type. The first zone of the first conduction type is connected to a first electrode. A second zone of the first conduction type is connected to a second electrode. The side of the zone of the second conduction type which faces the second zone forms a first surface. Areas of the first and second conduction types are integrated together in the region between the first surface and a second surface lying between the first surface and the second zone.
Such semiconductor components are also referred to as compensation components. Such compensation components are, for example, n-type or p-type channel MOS field effect transistors, diodes, thyristors, GTOs or else other elements. However, the following text will be based on an example of a field effect transistor (also referred to as xe2x80x9ctransistorxe2x80x9d for short).
Various theoretical investigations have been made into compensation components over a long period of time (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,310 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,275), but these investigations have been directed toward improving the switchover resistance RSDon. They have not been directed toward improving the stability under current loading, and in particular, have not been directed toward improving the robustness in relation to avalanche and short-circuiting with high current and a high source-drain voltage. Compensation components are based on mutual compensation of the charge of n-type and p-type doped areas in the drift region of the transistor. The areas are spatially configured here in such a way that the line integral over the doping along a line running vertically with respect to the pn-type junction remains in each case below the breakdown charge specific to the material (silicon approximately 2*1012 cmxe2x88x922). For example, in a vertical transistor such as is customary in power electronics, it is possible to configure p-type and n-type columns or plates etc., in pairs. In a lateral structure, p-type and n-type conductive layers can be stacked alternately one on top of the other in a lateral configuraion between a trench covered by a p-type conductive layer and a trench covered by an n-type conductive layer (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,310).
The large degree of compensation of the p-type and n-type doping enables the doping of the current-conducting region (the n-type region for n-type channel transistors and the p-type region for p-channel transistors) to be significantly increased in compensation components, which results in a significant gain in switch-on resistance RDSon despite the loss of current-conducting area. The switch-off capability of the transistor depends here essentially on the difference between the two dopings. Because doping of the current-conducting area which is at least one order of magnitude higher is desired in order to reduce the switch-on resistance, a controlled setting of the compensation degree, which can be defined for values in the region xe2x89xa6xc2x110%, is required to control the switch-off voltage. When the gain in terms of switch-on resistance is higher, the aforesaid region becomes even smaller. The degree of compensation can be defined in such a case by:
(p-type doping-n-type doping)/n-type doping; or by
charge difference/charge of a doping area.
However, other definitions are also possible.
For this reason, the aim is to obtain a robust semiconductor component which is defined by a high degree of immunity to avalanching and which can withstand high current loads before and in the breakdown state, and which also can be manufactured easily in terms of the technological tolerance ranges of manufacturing processes with properties which can be satisfactorily reproduced.
Such a completely novel semiconductor component is obtained if the areas of the first and second conduction types are doped in such a way that charge carriers of the second conduction type predominate in regions close to first surface, and charge carriers of the first conduction type predominate in regions near the second surface.
The areas of the second conduction type preferably do not extend as far as the second zone, with the result that a weakly doped region of the first conduction type remains between the second surface and the second zone. However, it is possible to allow the width of this region to approach xe2x80x9czeroxe2x80x9d. However, the weakly doped region provides various advantages such as an increase in the switch-off voltage, a xe2x80x9cgentlexe2x80x9d profile of the field strength and an improvement in the commutation properties of the inverse diode.
In areas of the second conduction type, a degree of compensation brought about by the doping is varied in such a way that atomic cores of the second charge type dominate close to the first surface, and atomic cores of the first charge type dominate close to the second surface. There are therefore layer sequences p, pxe2x88x92, nxe2x88x92, n or n, nxe2x88x92, pxe2x88x92, p between the two surfaces.
The effect of the nested areas of alternately different conduction type on the electrical field is, in contrast to, for example, a classic DMOS transistor, as follows (xe2x80x9clateralxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cverticalxe2x80x9d relate below to a vertical transistor):
(a) there is a transverse field which is xe2x80x9clateralxe2x80x9d with respect to the connecting direction between the electrodes, the strength of the transverse field depending on the proportion of lateral charge (line integral perpendicular to the lateral pn-type junction) relative to the breakdown charge. This field leads to the separation of electrons and holes and to a reduction in the current-carrying cross section along the current paths. This fact is of basic importance for understanding the processes in the avalanche, the breakdown characteristic curve and the saturation region of the characteristic curve field.
(b) The xe2x80x9cverticalxe2x80x9d electrical field which is parallel to the connecting direction between the electrodes is determined locally by the difference between the adjacent dopings. This means that when there is an excess of donors (n-type loading: in the charge in the n-type conductive areas exceeds the charge in the p-type areas) on the one hand, a DMOS-like field distribution (field at maximum at the blocking pn-type junction, field reducing in the direction of the opposite rear side of the component) occurs. The gradient of the field is, however, significantly lower than that which would correspond to the doping of the n-type area alone. However, on the other hand, a field distribution which rises in the direction of the rear side (p-type loading, excess of acceptors over donors) is possible as a result of overcompensation of the n-type conductive area with acceptors. In such a configuration, the field is at a maximum at the bottom of the p-type area. If the two dopings compensate one another precisely, a horizontal field distribution is produced.
The breakdown voltage is at a maximum with a precisely horizontal field distribution. If the acceptors or the donors predominate, the breakdown voltage respectively decreases. If the breakdown voltage is consequently plotted as a function of the degree of compensation, a parabolic profile is obtained.
Constant doping in the p-type and n-type conductive areas or even locally varying doping with periodic maximum values of the same magnitude leads here to a comparatively extreme maximum of the xe2x80x9ccompensation parabolaxe2x80x9d. In order to arrive at a xe2x80x9cfabrication windowxe2x80x9d (inclusion of the tolerances of all the individual relevant processes), a comparatively high breakdown voltage must be aimed at in order to achieve reliable yields and production reliability. The objective must therefore be to make the compensation parabolas as flat and wide as possible.
If switch-voltage is applied to the component, the drift path, i.e. the region of areas of opposite doping which are configured in pairs, has mobile charge carriers removed from it. The positively charged donor cores and the negatively charged acceptor cores remain in the spatial charge zone which is created. They then initially determine the profile of the field.
The current flow through the spatial charge zone brings about a change in the electric field if the concentration of the charge carriers connected to the current flow enters the region of background doping. In such a case, electrons compensate donors and holes compensate the acceptors. For the stability of the component it is therefore very important which doping is predominant locally, where charge carriers are generated and how their concentrations occur along their current paths.
For the following statements clarifying the basic mechanisms, a constant doping of p-type and n-type conductive areas is first assumed.
In the switch-on state, and in particular in the saturation range of the characteristic curve field of a MOS transistor, a pure electron stream flows out of the channel into an n-type doped area, also referred to as a xe2x80x9ccolumnxe2x80x9d in a vertical transistor, increasing focusing of the current flow occurring in the depth because of the transverse electrical field. High current stability is promoted by the predominance of the n-type doping; however, because the channel region prevents, with its positive temperature coefficient, a nonhomogeneous current distribution in a cell field, this method of operation is rather noncritical. The current density can be reduced by partially screening the channel terminal (see German Patent Application DE 198 08 348 A1).
The following is to be noted with respect to the breakdown characteristic curve or its profile: electrons and holes are generated in the region of maximum field strength. The separation of the two charge carrier types is performed by the transverse electrical field. Focusing and further multiplication occurs along both current paths in the p-type area and n-type area, respectively. Finally, a partial channel screening does not have any effect either. Stability occurs only if the moveable charge carriers lead to a rise in the electrical field outside of the locations where they are produced, and thus to a rise in the breakdown voltage of the respective cell. For compensation components, this means stability in the p-type loaded region and in the n-type loaded region, but not at the maximum values of the compensation parabola. In the p-type loaded region, the breakdown takes place at the xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d of the column. The electrons flow out of the drift region and thus do not affect the field. The holes are drawn through the longitudinal electrical field to the upper source contact. Here, the stream of holes is focused along its path by the transverse electrical field: the current density rises here. The longitudinal electrical field is thus first affected close to the surface. Because of the compensation of the excess acceptor cores (p-type loading), a reduction takes place in the gradient of the electrical field, and a rise in the breakdown voltage. This situation is stable for as long as the field remains clearly below the critical field strength there (for silicon approximately 270 kV/cm for a charge carrier concentration of approximately 1015 cmxe2x88x923).
In the n-loaded region with an excess of donors, the breakdown is close to the surface. The holes flow to the source contact and still affect the field on the path from where they are produced up to the p-type well. The objective must therefore be to place the breakdown location as close as possible to the p-type well. This can be achieved, for example, by rising the n-type doping locally. The electrons flow through the entire drift zone to the rear side and also affect the field along their current path. Stability is obtained when the effect of the stream of electrons outweighs that of the stream of holes. Because the geometry of the cell configuraion plays an important role here, there is a region of stable and unstable characteristic curves, in particular close to the maximum value of the compensation parabola.
The conditions in the avalanche are very similar to those in the case of a breakdown. However, the currents are significantly higher and for a rated current they are up to twice the rated current of the transistor. Because the transverse electric field always brings about clear focusing of the current, the process leaves the range of stability in the case of compensation components with a comparatively low current loading. In physical terms this means that the current-induced rise in the field has already progressed to such an extent that the breakdown field strength is reached locally. The longitudinal electrical field can then no longer rise locally any further, but the curvature of the longitudinal electrical field continues to increase, resulting in a decrease in the breakdown voltage of the cell in question. This is manifested in the characteristic curve of an individual cell, and also in the simulation, by a negative differential resistance, i.e. the voltage decreases as the current rises. In a large transistor with several tens of thousands of cells, this will lead to a very quick, nonhomogeneous redistribution of the current. A filament is formed, and the transistor melts locally.
This results in the following consequences for the stability of compensation components:
(a) as a result of the separation of electrons and holes, xe2x80x9cautostabilizationxe2x80x9d as in the case of IGBTs and diodes does not occur, but instead the degree of compensation, the field distribution and the breakdown location must he set precisely.
(b) In the case of constant doping of the p-type and n-type areas or xe2x80x9ccolumnsxe2x80x9d there are stable regions in the clearly p-type loaded region and in the clearly n-type loaded region on the compensation parabola. Both regions do not correspond. For this reason, there is only an extremely small fabrication window. With constant doping of the p-type and n-type areas or columns, the compensation parabola is extremely steep. The breakdown location moves from the bottom of the p-type column in the direction of the surface within a few percent.
(c) For each compensation component there is a current destruction threshold in the avalanche which is connected directly to the degree of compensation. On the other hand, the degree of compensation determines the achievable breakdown voltage and affects the RDSon gain.
(d) In the case of constant doping of the p-type and n-type areas, the components close to the maximum value of the compensation parabola are, as stated above, unstable. This causes the components with the highest switch-off voltage to be destroyed in the avalanche test.
As explained above, in order to avoid the disadvantages, the degree of compensation is varied along the doping areas. For example, given a vertical structure from the upper side in the direction of the rear side of the transistor, the degree of compensation is varied in such a way that the atom cores of the second conduction type predominate close to the surface and the atom cores of the first conduction type predominate close to the rear side.
The resulting field distribution has a xe2x80x9chunched backxe2x80x9d profile with a maximum value at approximately half of the depth. As a result, both the electrons and the holes in the breakdown and in the avalanche affect the field distribution. Both types of charge carrier have a stabilizing effect because they extend out from the location where they are generated into, in each case, areas in which they compensate the dominant excess background doping. There is thus a continuous stability range from p-type loaded to n-type loaded degrees of compensation.
A variation in the degree of compensation as a result of fabrication tolerances displaces the breakdown location only by a small amount in the vertical direction, and also continuously backward and forward, for as long as this variation is less than the technologically set variation in the degree of compensation. The magnitude of this modification of the degree of compensation also determines the limits of the saturation region. As a result, the fabrication window becomes freely selectable.
Focusing of the currents is significantly less clear because both of the types of charge carrier only cover half the path in the region of the compressing transverse electrical field. It thus becomes possible to load the components in the avalanche with significantly higher currents.
Because in one variation of the degree of compensation, for example in the direction of xe2x80x9cn-loadingxe2x80x9d, the electrical field increases in each case in the upper region of the drift path, but simultaneously decreases in the lower region (when variation in the direction of p-type loading is reversed), the breakdown voltage varies as a function of the degree of compensation only to a relatively small degree. The compensation parabola thus becomes preferably flat and wide.
The vertical variation in the degree of compensation can be effected by varying the doping in the p-type area or by varying the doping in the n-type area or by varying the doping in both areas. The variation of the doping along the columns can have a constant gradient or can take place in a plurality of steps. Basically, the variation rises, however, monotonously from a p-type loaded degree of compensation to an n-type loaded degree of compensation.
The principle above can also be readily applied in p-type channel transistors. A correspondingly modified profile of the semiconductor areas then occurs: a (p-type, p-dominant, n-dominant, n-type) profile is replaced by an (n-type, n-dominant, p-dominant, p-type) profile.
The limits of stability are reached on the n-type loaded side if the field runs horizontally close to the surface via a perceptible region of the drift path. On the p-type loaded side, the stability limit is reached if the field close to the bottom of the compensating column region runs horizontally via a perceptible region of the drift path.
It is generally the case that the compensation parabola becomes flatter and wider the greater the gradient of the degree of compensation. The breakdown voltage drops correspondingly at the maximum value of the compensation parabola.
A further important limitation of the variation of the degree of compensation is given by the requirement for the charge to be below the breakdown charge. Furthermore, when there is a severe rise in the p-column doping close to the surface current constriction effects occur (lateral JFET effect).
For example, a variation in the degree of compensation along the p-type areas and n-type areas of 50% is advantageous for 600 V components.
Applications for such lateral transistors are, for example, in the smart power field and also in microelectronics. Vertical transistors, in contrast, are predominantly produced in the field of conduction electronics.
The vertical modification of the degree of compensation can be implemented very easily because only the implantation dose has to be changed in the individual epitaxial layers. The xe2x80x9cgenuinexe2x80x9d compensation dose is then implanted in the central epitaxial layer, in each case 10% less below it, for example, and in each case 10% more above it, for example. Instead of the implantation dose, it is, however, also possible to change the epitaxial doping.
As a result of the ability to cope with greater fluctuations it is possible to reduce the manufacturing costs. The number of necessary epitaxial layers can be reduced, and the openings for the compensation implantation can be reduced because of the higher fluctuation of the implanted dose as a result of the greater relative fluctuation of the resist dimensions with simultaneously prolonged post diffusion for the diffusing together of the individual p-type regions to form the xe2x80x9ccolumnxe2x80x9d.
FIG. 16 shows a section through a novel n-type channel MOS transistor with an n+-conductive silicon semiconductor substrate 1, a drain electrode 2, a first n-type conductive layer 13, a second layer 3 with n-type conductive areas 4 and p-type conductive areas 5, p-type conductive zones 6, n-type conductive zones 7, and gate electrodes 8. The gate electrodes 8 are made of, for example, polycrystalline silicon or metal which are embedded in an insulating layer 9 made of, for example, silicon dioxide. The n-type channel MOS transistor also includes a source metalization 10 made of, for example, aluminum. The p-type conductive areas 5 do not reach the n+-type conductive semiconductor substrate here either.
In FIG. 16, for the sake of better clarity, only the metallic layers are illustrated by hatching, although the other areas and zones are also shown in a sectional representation.
In the p-type conductive areas 5, a p-type charge excess is present in a zone I, a xe2x80x9cneutralxe2x80x9d charge is present in a zone II, and an n-type charge excess is present in a zone III. This means that in area 5, which forms a xe2x80x9cp-type columnxe2x80x9d, the charge of the p-type column in zone I outweighs the charge of the surrounding n-type conductive area 5, that furthermore the charge of the p-type column in zone II compensates precisely the charge of the surrounding n-type area 5, and that the charge of the p-type column in zone III does not yet outweigh the charge of the surrounding n-type area 5. It is therefore essential for the charge of the p-type areas 5 to be variable, while the charge of the n-type areas 4 is constant in each case. However, it is also possible, as in the preceding exemplary embodiments, for the charge of p-type conductive areas 5 to be constant, and the charge of the n-type conductive areas to be varied. It is also possible to make the charge variable in both areas 4 and 5.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method which easily permits the areas of the first and second conduction types to be manufactured with the desired variable doping, and which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantageous of the prior art apparatus and methods of this general type.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor component having a semiconductor element with a blocking pn-type junction that includes steps of: providing a blocking pn-type junction that is formed by a first zone of a first conduction type and an adjoining zone of a second conduction type that is opposite to the first conduction type; connecting the first zone of the first conduction type to a first electrode; providing a second zone of the first conduction type and a second electrode that is connected to the second zone of the first conduction type; defining a first surface as a side of the zone of the second conduction type that faces the second zone of the first conduction type; defining a second surface that lies between the first surface and the second zone of the first conduction type; integrating areas of the first conduction type and of the second conduction type together in a region between the first surface and the second surface; and forming the areas of the first conduction type and of the second conduction type by forming trenches and by doping and filling in the trenches so that: charge carriers of the second conduction type predominate in regions formed from portions of the areas of the first conduction type and of the second conduction type that are near the first surface; and charge carriers of the first conduction type predominate in regions formed from portions of the areas of the first conduction type and of the second conduction type that are near the second surface.
The method is preferably applied in a semiconductor element composed of silicon. However, it is also possible to apply the invention to other semiconductor materials, for example connecting semiconductors, silicon carbide etc.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the etching of the trenches can be adjusted by suitably selecting process parameters in such a way that a defined side wall inclination is obtained for the trenches, with the result that, for example, trenches are produced which have a smaller cross-sectional area as the depth increases. For, for example, n-type compensation components, the necessary n-type doping can then be carried out with, for example, phosphorus for the current-conducting path, either by the background doping of the semiconductor element or by constant side wall doping of the trench over the entire depth of the trench. Such side wall doping can be carried out by coverage processes, doping from the gas phase, plasma doping or by applying epitaxially deposited doped layers in the trenches. In the example of n-type compensation components, the trench is then closed partially or entirely with homogeneously epitaxially grown semiconductor material, that is to say, for example, silicon, of the p-type. The desired gradient of the compensation of p-dominant or p-loaded to n-dominant or n-loaded as the depth of the trench increases is thus obtained.
It is therefore possible to adjust the vertical profile of the doping by the geometry of the trench, which can be effected by the profile of the trench wall on the one hand, and/or by the outline of the trench on the other. In linear, elongated trench structures, the ratio of the effective doping is proportional to the trench diameter, while in the case of circular or column-shaped trenches the trench opens at the upper edge or lower edge in the square corresponding to the circular face. Correspondingly, for example, with circular trenches and homogeneous n-type background doping of the semiconductor element, side wall doping of the p-conduction type can also be used instead of epitaxial filling.
Under certain circumstances, trench etching with a strictly vertical side wall profile is simpler to achieve than a trench with a tapering cross section. So that, nevertheless, this tapering cross section can still be achieved overall, and a defined stepped tapering of the trench profile into the depth of the trench can be obtained using one or more spacing-element or spacer etching steps. A first trench etching operation is started here as far as a certain partial depth. Subsequently, a side wall spacer is formed in the customary way, for example by oxide deposition and anisotropic back-etching. There is then the further trench etching operation, and these steps are, if appropriate, to be repeated many times. Finally, the mask and the spacer are removed.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, there is provided a variation of the above method, in which it is possible to achieve, for example, a stepped configuration of p-type doping as the depth of the trench increases, by repeatedly interrupted trench etching. One possibility is then to perform the side wall doping in each case after a certain partial depth of the etching of the trench has been reached. This results in an increased doping dose being obtained in the upper parts of the trench by the addition of the respective partial doped amounts. This method can also be combined, for example, with an ion implantation after each partial etching step by, for example, diffusing out the implanted dose in the bottom of the trench directly after the implantation step in each case. The portion of the dose which is diffused out laterally in this way is not removed by the next trench partial etching step. Finally, the individual p-type conductive areas which are obtained in this way are ultimately connected by diffusion. If the ion implantation takes place at a low angle with respect to the depth of the trench, a certain amount of doping also occurs in the side walls of the trench. The reduction in the doping as the depth of the trench increases can readily be performed on each plane by selective adjustment of the implantation dose.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, when doping methods which can be masked by materials such as photoresist are used, which applies in particular to ion implantation and plasma doping, a repeatedly stepped side wall doping of the trenches can also be obtained. The repeatedly stepped side wall doping of the trenches can be obtained if, after continuous deep trench etching, the trench is partially filled in again with a material with a sufficiently low viscosity, for example photoresist. By simple etching methods it is then possible to remove this photoresist filling again incrementally, the respectively exposed part of the side wall of the trench is doped at each step in between. As a result, an increased doping concentration is obtained in the upper parts of the trench by adding the respective partial doses of the individual doping operations.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, in doping methods which cannot be masked with resist, for example in covering methods, the method just explained above can be modified in such a way that the trench is additionally filled with an insulating layer, for example silicon dioxide. The insulating layer is deposited by a CVD method, and is back-etched incrementally. Alternatively, it is, however, also possible to line the trench with the insulating layer, for example thermally deposited silicon dioxide, before the photoresist is introduced into the trench, and to remove the exposed part of the insulating layer by etching after the resist is back-etched. After the remaining photoresist is removed, a lower part of the trench which can be specified as desired is masked against doping.
By suitably selecting the process parameters, the side wall doping of the trench out of the gas phase can be set in such a way that depletion of the dopant toward the trench bottom occurs, as is desired, for example, for p-type doping. This applies, in particular, when there are high aspect ratios of the trench etching, such as are necessary with compensation components with a high breakdown voltage and a low switch-on resistance. Alternatively, this can also be achieved by a non-conformal epitaxial deposition of, for example, a p-type conductive semiconductor layer in the trench.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, it is also possible to add a further etching medium, for example hydrochloric acid, during the epitaxial deposition: if the deposition outweighs the etching, a profile is obtained which has, for example, an increased n-type doping concentration in the direction of the trench bottom.
With implantation methods it is possible to obtain a doping dose which decreases as the depth increases, by suitably combining rotation, tilt angle and energy of the dopant ions using the scattering of the ions at the trench side walls. For this purpose, it is generally necessary to implant the semiconductor element with different rotation angles so that asymmetry of differently oriented trench walls does not result. With high aspect ratios in the trench it may be expedient to apply successively different tilt angles, and if appropriate implantation at an angle of 0xc2x0 may also be carried out.
As is known, certain types of defects may lead to anisotropic diffusion behavior in the crystal. This property can be used for selective depth diffusion of, for example, p-type conductive columns along the defects, with the dopant concentration decreasing automatically here by virtue of the diffusion gradient as the depth of the defects increases. The defects can be generated, for example, with an extreme high-energy implantation over a surface of the semiconductor element, onto which, for example, p-type conductive dopant is applied with a mask, with subsequent deep diffusion. The defects can then be eliminated.
If a vertical trench with a constant, for example p-type conductive side wall doping or epitaxial p-type filling, is used, the degree of compensation can be displaced in the direction of p-type dominance with respect to the surface of the semiconductor element by n-type conductive background doping of the semiconductor element over the surface. The doping concentration of this background doping decreases toward the surface of the semiconductor element.
This can be carried out, for example, by a basic material with a plurality of epitaxial layers with different n-type doping or by graduated doping during the deposition. A further possibility is to diffuse in an n-type dopant from the rear side of the semiconductor element, in which case the semiconductor element should, under certain circumstances, be relatively thin in order to make it possible to deal with long diffusion times which are otherwise necessary.
A typical phenomenon with plasma-supported anisotropic trench etching operations, in particular with high aspect ratios of trenches, is the decrease in the trench depth as a function of the opening of the trench at a given etching time. This results in various possible ways of utilizing this phenomenon to implement vertically stepped p-type dopant profiles. It is thus possible to etch a central trench with the full target depth, directly adjacent xe2x80x9csatellitexe2x80x9d trenches having a reduced diameter. If appropriate, multiple stepping can thus also be achieved. The central trench is then provided, for example, with a homogeneous n-type doping, while the satellite trenches are masked. All the trenches are then subsequently provided with p-type doping. The n-type doping can also be present homogeneously as background doping in the semiconductor element. Because the doped areas in a compensation component are completely cleared of mobile charge carriers when switched off, the lateral spatial separation of the trenches does not play an important role. In the spatial center there remains an excess of p-type charge carriers as far as the depth which is respectively defined by the neighboring trenches. With this concept it is also possible to spatially separate p-type and n-type conductive xe2x80x9ccolumnsxe2x80x9d so that, for example, the central trench can be used as an n-type doped electron path, while incremental p-type compensation is achieved with the satellite trenches which are reduced in diameter incrementally, and thus also reduced in depth.
The stated possible ways of implementing vertical doping gradients in the case of compensation components are decisive, in particular in the case of trench technology, because they permit the location of the breakdown to be moved into the outer surface of the trench, and thus away from critical points such as the bottom of the trench. As a result of the greater fluctuation which can be dealt with according to the invention, it is also possible to raise the necessary stringent demands made of the fabrication tolerances in terms of etching dimensions of the trench etching, dose of the various side wall doping operations and filling operations etc., to such an extent that a manufacturable semiconductor component is produced.
It is possible to adjust the process parameters of epitaxial processes in such a way that the deposition on oxide-covered surfaces is suppressed, with the result that selective epitaxy occurs. If the oxide mask is left on the semiconductor element after trench etching and if a thin oxide side wall spacing is then produced in the trench using a customary method, for example, by thermal oxidation and subsequent anisotropic back-etching of the oxide, the method of selective epitaxy can be used to fill in the trench with monocrystalline silicon, which, however, grows starting from the bottom of the trench as a result of the side wall being covered with oxide. This provides the possibility of changing the doping during the epitaxial process and thus obtaining, in principle, any desired vertical doping profiles. The respective constant counter-doping may be provided either as homogeneous background doping of the semiconductor element or by means of trench side wall doping before the oxide side wall spacer is produced. The electron current paths and hole current paths are thus separated vertically by an insulator, this being insignificant for the basic operational capability of the compensation component.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the method includes providing the trenches with side walls; covering the side walls of the trenches with an insulating layer; and epitaxially filling the trenches with semiconductor material having a variable doping profile.
Basically, those methods in which the net p-type loading toward the surface of the semiconductor element is achieved by varying the p-type doping with constant n-type doping must be preferred over those methods which have either exclusively or additionally a vertical gradient in the n-type doping, because the switch-on resistance is increased in the latter.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method for manufacturing a semiconductor component, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.